A School History of the Great War eBook

II. INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS

President Wilson, on January 8, 1918, addressed Congress
in a speech which was designed to set forth the war
aims and peace terms of the United States. Every
American should be familiar with the terms of this
“fourteen-point speech.” Each one
of the terms advocated by the President is given below
in the President’s own words, and a short explanatory
paragraph is added to each.

1. Open covenants of peace, openly arrived at,
after which there shall be no private international
understandings of any kind, but diplomacy shall proceed
always frankly and in the public view.

The President here speaks against the underhand diplomacy
and secret alliances which have been a feature of
European history in the past. By this practice
a few diplomats and monarchs made whatever treaties
they wished, not presenting them for ratification
to the people’s representatives, and yet binding
every individual citizen to abide by the terms adopted.
Such secret provisions have often been agreed to simply
upon the whim or the ambition or the likes and dislikes
of the rulers. They have sometimes been opposed
to the true interests of the nations involved.
They are undemocratic, and are not in accord with
American ideas.

2. Absolute freedom of navigation upon the seas,
outside territorial waters, alike in peace and in
war, except as the seas may be closed in whole or
in part by international action for the enforcement
of international covenants.

Since 1793 the United States has stood for the freedom
of the seas and the right of neutrals to carry on
their trade in time of war as well as in time of peace.
Germany’s violation of our rights as a neutral
by her submarine warfare was one of the causes of
our taking up arms against her. By territorial
waters the President here means the waters within
three miles from shore, which are universally held
to be under the complete control of the adjoining
state. By international covenants are probably
meant such covenants and guarantees as those mentioned
in points 14, 1, 4, 11, 12, and 13.

3. The removal, so far as possible, of all economic
barriers and the establishment of an equality of trade
conditions among all the nations consenting to the
peace and associating themselves for its maintenance.

Economic barriers are mainly restrictions upon trade
and commerce. These restrictions take various
forms; they may be prohibitive customs duties, or
excessive port, tonnage, and harbor charges; they may
be trade agreements granting favors to the citizens
of one country and not to those of another.
The President urges the establishment of an equality
of such trade conditions.

4. Adequate guarantees given and taken that national
armaments will be reduced to the lowest point consistent
with domestic safety.